I’m hearing a number of people can’t afford a down payment for a home – specifically millennial’s. And it’s heartbreaking to hear how much debt current generations are in compared to older generations. I was there once, in fact I never thought I would be able to own a home.

And I get it – you wonder well what to do. I think there’s two ways to look at it.

Like this:

So here’s a tip I didn’t know before – apparently when you install new carpet you should be away from the premises for two days because there’s a buildup of toxic volatile organic compounds, according to this article, although the insurance adjuster who came by said it was formaldehyde, but according to the site and others it’s not.

Regardless it does let off fumes that could sightly be harmful, thankfully he noticed because I sometimes can’t smell that way unless it’s good food, ha.

So just open a screen door or window to air things out and you should be fine in a couple of days.

By the way I was left with left over carpeting and at first I thought why didn’t the guy just throw it away, what will I do with it. Then I thought oh no if something ever happens at least I have it to replace it. And now I learn I need to throw it away because you need someone to sew the carpets together once it has been cut so it has a seamless look. Well I don’t know anyone who does that. Garbage pick-up here I come.

Like this:

Keep this handy so if you ever run into a leak issue of some kind and the damage is out of your control or ability to cover, here’s what you should consider:

#1 Turn the water valve off

It’s a good idea to know where this is located ahead of time. Turn the main water source off and the water directly under the toilet from out of the wall. That way there is no chance fo the leak to continue.

# 2 Keep evidence of replaced pipes onsite

You worked hard to find a plumber so the last thing you want to do is be in a rush to clear out the trash and throw the evidence away. So keep it until the insurance adjuster shows up so they can properly inspect and determine cause and your clearance of cause.

#3 File a claim immediately in order to have an insurance adjuster inspect

You will want to call your insurance so a claim can be filed and have a representative assigned to you. The sooner you do this the quicker the repair process will become completed. Once you are informed of an insurance adjuster being assigned to you they will give you a call to schedule time to come out. You will want to explain to them what happened, and provide them with pictures of receipts and the repair work completed.

#4 If living in condo contact HOA

If you live in a condo or own a condo or complex where there are other units in the same building inform your property manager/HOA immediately. Because depending on if you own you will need to provide the with the claim number, your insurance contact information and any direct email and phone number of your claim representative.

Certainly if you don’t own you will just need to contact your owner.

#5 Make sure any bylaws and certificate of insurance is provided to your insurance company

If you live in a condo you will need to provide bylaws so they can understand what your HPA is responsible for. Otherwise if this is a place you own outright you shouldn’t need to provide this – your own insurance will know what is covered or not based on your monthly or yearly premium.

#6 Call Service Master/ServePro to schedule water mitigation

This just means you need to have someone call out to dry out your drywall if the water reached the wall and caused moisture along the wall.

#7 Find a contractor to install and paint new drywall

You would think service master could do both water mitigation and the repair work but not exactly, at least it needs to be scheduled separately. And you aren’t required to use them either but for me it just make things quicker since they will already know the issue. What this step means is they will dry out the location with moisture with humidifiers. See my other article on what they look like.

Like this:

Well, who knew a toilet bowl cleaner – you know the blue disc shaped kind can do more harm than good?

Well, when my plumber stopped by to inspect my water leak from the toilet he mentioned that using the blue toilet cleaner actually ages your toilet and erodes the plastic parts inside. You can also find more details here.

This is a short article because I advise anyone who might be using the same product I have used for so many years you may want to consider switching to save your toilet and extend the life and age.

White chlorox would be the preferred ones to use although I feel like not using that either. But hey at least now you know.

Like this:

And out of nowhere I experienced another leak but this time in the bathroom. It’s so weird because it happened while someone stopped by to view the condo and no one ever told me until I was informed by a neighbor that they had leakage in their bathroom ceiling.

So the nice thing is I know exactly what to do. Shut the water off, lol.

Called a plumber over immediately and began the cat and mouse game of calling insurance and awaiting for service master and that whole process to get complete.

So how did it happen? A leak from a small hole over time grew behind the wall.

I wish there was a way to better detect these things that might happen before you buy a place but you can’t without knocking a wall down.

The nice thing is I should get a newer toilet because apparently the one I have was old and needed to be replaced.

Like this:

Thursday I had to make a tough decision with letting someone go that I worked with for 2 years. But it was for the best. On a small scale this was simply ending a business relationship. Sometimes I’m not sure when to go with my gut or head. It was definitely facts that resolved my uncertainty. No matter what, whether career or business we all have to make tough choices.

Someone who is searching for a rental, there’s things you should know that can be asked of the owner vs what real estate agents can offer or ask up front.

Rentor Seeking Places to Stay – What to Ask

Don’t be afraid to negotiate

All owners have their reason for setting a certain price because believe it or not there are cost involved in the maintenance and upkeep of a home. depending on how much they paid or any maintenance costs like the cost of city stickers, garbage pick up etc all factors in.

If you see something odd, inquire about it

I know there are some landlords that may not care and then there are those who do especially when they care about the property value. So if you see something broken or not working it’s best to bring that up. Believe it or not the landlord may not know or be aware especially if they don’t live there.

Make sure you study the MLS listing, it’s there for a reason and not just for looks, ha!

The point is you want to know if the school district matches where your child may currently be attending so it save you a trip

Understand the measurements, I’ve had people tell me they couldn’t rent due to the size of their furniture, which is a good observation. So knowing any measurements and comparing against what is listed, which those measurements are highly likely to be accurate are not ones to be taken lightly if you plan on moving with furniture.

Rental Real Estate Agents – What to Provide

Have applications available onsite

I know I don’t like sitting around waiting and wondering if a successful connection will allow an email to come through to my phone to receive a rental application. Why not have it now in my hand? That way it reinforces the intent to rent and helps drive the decision to complete an application

Are there family accommodations?

This is only important because some who have families like to offer their children a space to run around and play but if the place you are viewing doesn’t offer that, well, seems like a wasted trip right? Knowing as much information up front about those children accommodations is information the agent should receive for you that way the owner can provide any helpful information to the renter before the showing.

Be Aware of Any Updates/Outstanding Repairs

I say this because your agent should be in constant communication with the owner or the owners agent. So if you see the condition of a home, ask when it will be complete. Sometime there are home that are move-in ready despite the condition not being to your liking while others are planning to make updates but want an early showing during the middle of the work progress. Regardless, always ask your agent because either they can tell you the timing or reach out and get the answer.

It’s never easy attempting to launch a business or dive into something so new and different from your normal routine; it can be scary. Also taking an exam is not as easy as it is riding a bicycle – not using for many years and instinctively knowing how to ride it.

Like this:

I’m happy to say that one progress has been made ever since the pipe leak. My tenant ha moved out and full carpet replacement is expected to happen within this coming week.

Garage has already been completed with new drywall and paint but the annoying part is that they literally only painted areas that were impacted by the leak. Nothing more than what they are obligated to cover repair wise. So I am waiting for someone to get back to me when they find the actual name of the paint used to continue the last untouched areas with new paint.

The other nightmare I witnessed well just slightly a arm of a frantic is when I saw someone did not wipe their feet off of the rug in the front door but instead tracked mud on the carpet leaving a stain. Luckily this is on the old carpet and not the new one so I have purchased booties and will lay flattened cardboard around to keep anything from being up the carpet.

But I hadn’t realized how much time could be taken away from showing to possible renters as I have to halt on showing until those repairs get competed hopefully within the next two weeks. Boy! What a busy April.